Still Untitled
by Nicky-2890
Summary: This story is loosely based on Dtrix and Lauren's story as a couple, from So You Think You can Dance. Dominic was a contestant on season 3 and Lauren was the winner of season 7. I love these two and Lauren actually wrote part of their story on tumblr so I'm basing this a bit on that, but my characters are original. I'm using mainly for the audience. Read&Review!


**Chapter 1: Unexpected**

"It's a bizarre but wonderful feeling, to arrive dead center of a target you didn't even know you were aiming for." ― Lois McMaster Bujold

_Is this real? Is someone pranking me? Are there any hidden cameras somewhere? This has to be a joke, this cannot be happening to me right now. This is too good to be true! Whoever is behind this cruel prank better come out now and yell: You've been Punk'd! _

This was my train of thought while I tried to focus on the routine that was being taught to me in this very moment. It wasn't until Dana, the choreographer, called me out.

"Lilly, Focus! Start over, from the top!" It was enough to pull me back to reality and focus on the intricate combo that I couldn't seem to grasp yet.

But let me rewind a bit so you can understand what I'm talking about. A few months ago I had accompanied my best friend to audition for a televised dance competition in LA, to which she got cold feet to do so at the very last minute and instead of just leaving or taking a leap of faith and doing it, she stuck her number on my chest and pushed me forward when her name was called out.

We were both dancers, you see. I've been dancing since I was 5 years old or maybe even younger and so has she. We've been best friends for as long as I can remember and even as little children things have always been the same with Patricia. She gets riled up to do something crazy and backs down on the last minute, somehow managing to force me into carrying on with her crazy plans. I got into so much trouble growing up and most of the times it wasn't even my idea. But I'm naturally competitive and have no shame at all to do anything, so every chance I get to do something crazy, I grab it by the horns.

So that's what happened for the billionth time when we went to LA. I ended up auditioning for the dance competition, taking Patricia's place. And the craziest thing was that I actually got through. And not only did I get a call back for a second audition, but I made it through again and was now in Hollywood filming episodes for the show.

I had already done my fist routine and had gotten positive reviews, but was told that I was lacking soul. My performance was good, I had great technique, but I was lacking the feeling. Again, these were my reviews, I personally had never thought in a million years that I would be standing in a competition of this magnitude, competing against incredible performers.

So back to the present, three weeks into the competition, two call backs later, things were starting to get real. There wasn't any room for joking anymore, it was do or die. In order for a contestant to keep getting through, we needed to get votes from the real live audience. And in order to do that, people had to like us. Last week had been ok, but now I needed to kill this routine or I the dream-come-true would be cut short for me.

I was dripping in sweat, trying time after time to nail this hip hop routine that had been given to me to perform for the second week of the competition. It was completely out of my comfort zone, so that was making it difficult, not to mention that my partner was all around HOT. In a cute way, if that's even possible. The show had developed this alumni-like system in which each week each contestant was paired up with an "all-star" which were sort of like veterans from past seasons that acted as partners and mentors for us. This week I had gotten Alex, who just so happens to be an expert B-boy and hip hop dancer. He had been part of the show on its third season, but didn't win. He was one of the most charming guys I had ever met, not to mention super talented AND super funny. All three things were enough to drive me crazy, and add to that his beautiful brown eyes that seemed to be staring deep into my soul every time he pulled me close for a particular step on the routine.

"Hey, you ok? This routine is tough!" He said once we had stopped for a moment to catch our breath. We were both panting and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck sticking to my skin.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just really wanna get this right." He surprised me by squeezing my shoulder and offering me a lopsided smile. I caught myself staring and blinked back into reality.

"You're doing great, I'm seriously impressed." He said. I was extremely pleased to hear this from him, given his background.

"I've never had to do a hip hop routine like this before so I'm glad I'm learning something new. It's tough, though." We went back to practicing, and I seemed to get better every time I tried. I was feeling less stressed by the minute, but maybe Alex's constant praises and reassuring comments were contributing to that.

You see, the routine was portraying something that was cutting it pretty close to what was happening to me at the moment. The routine was about a girl in an abusive relationship who breaks free when she meets an amazing guy that shows her a different side of what love is supposed to be, so it was a more subtle type of hip hop than usual. And I wasn't nor had I ever been in an abusive relationship, but I was currently having a tough time with my on and off and on again boyfriend. We had been together for the most part of high school, but once we graduated that same year this had been going downhill for us. We couldn't seem to get on the same page and he was becoming a completely different person than the guy I had known for years. But maybe I had changed as well. Anyway, we were drifting apart and I knew, deep down, that it was only a matter of time before we called it quits for good. And now with Alex in the picture, make it my very personal imaginary picture; I was getting more and more confused by the second.

I knew I needed to take the step and let my walls down or I would never get to the place I had to be in order to pull off the routine the way the judges wanted me to. I knew exactly what I had to do, but I was afraid. It seemed terrifying to me, specially now, because I didn't know what the outcome would look like if I let myself get lost in the moment.

"Hey, our time's up." Alex's voice pulled me out of my thoughts and back to the present again. We took a moment to stretch out our tired muscles and chatted a bit. We had been left alone by the choreographer a while ago so we could practice with each other, but our 3 hour span had flown faster than I could even realize.

I was pretty happy with the outcome of my day, now all that was left was for me to find it in me to let my emotions show. Alex complimented my technique and said I was a natural, but maybe he was just being nice. He had been SO nice with me the whole time, which was very unexpected because he was constantly pranking and joking around with everyone on set. I had expected him to be a player, given his flirtatious nature, and an all-around douchebag. But he had proven me wrong today.

Before we left the studio, he made me promise we would get to know each other better. He even asked me to go on his facebook page and try to learn whatever I could about him. I was baffled. A guy that actually gave me permission to cyber stalk him? This was a dream come true. We agreed on creeping on each other's facebook that night and try to discover 5 new things about each other. He said it would help with our chemistry on-stage if we were comfortable with each other, not that I objected in any way.

So that night I did just that. As soon as I was back at the hotel where all the contestants were staying, I pulled out my laptop and searched for Alex's facebook page. I had homework and I was determined to excel on it.


End file.
